Downtown Science was a short-lived hip hop music group composed of rapper Bosco Money and producer Sam Sever; they were signed to Def Jam Recordings. The duo released one album, 1991’s Downtown Science.

On this day 4/24/1991, LL Cool J was the appeared on The Arsenio Hall Show and performed his hit single, “Mama Said Knock You Out”. Check out the full performance above. For more nostalgic posts like this, check out DefJam30.com

While putting together this post and researching LL Cool J’s performance on YO! MTV Raps Unplugged back in 1991, I stumbled across a detailed blog on Blogger.com by Ransom of Chronological Snobbery which I think pretty much captured everything there is to say about this LL Cool J performance. Nineteen years ago today, on May…

The Ruler’s Back is the second studio album by British-American rapper Slick Rick, released July 2, 1991, on Def Jam Recordings. It features production from Vance Wright, Slick Rick and Mr. Lee. The album and its music videos were quickly recorded and filmed before Slick Rick was sentenced to a 5-year prison term. Upon its…

Ain’t a Damn Thing Changed is the second album from the East Coast hip-hop duo Nice & Smooth. Released on Def Jam Recordings sub-label RAL Records, it became more successful than its first album, Nice & Smooth, with the stand-out track “Sometimes I Rhyme Slow” becoming a minor hit. With fewer explicit lyrics and more…

Daddy’s Little Girl is the only album released by rapper, Nikki D. It was released on September 3, 1991 through Def Jam Recordings and featured production from S.I.D., Prince Paul, Sam Server and The Bomb Squad’s Eric Sadler. The album reached No. 54 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums; the eponymous lead single reached No. 10…

Apocalypse 91…The Enemy Strikes Black is the fourth studio album by American hip hop group Public Enemy, released October 3, 1991, on Def Jam Recordings. It debuts production team Imperial Grand Ministers of Funk, which consisted of producers Stuart Robertz, Cerwin ‘C-Dawg’ Depper, Gary G-Wiz, and The JBL. The album peaked at number 4 on…

On October 27, 1991, Nice & Smooth performed as the special music guest on Fox’s “In Living Color” comedy sketch show. Check out the performance of “Hip Hop Junkies” above. For more nostalgic posts like this one, check out defjam30.com

On this day in Def Jam Recordings history, December 5th 1987 Public Enemy performed “Rebel Without A Pause” on the 554th episode of Soul Train. Check out the performance above. For more nostalgic posts like this one, check out DefJam30.com

Listen back to all of the mixes from our #DefJam30 x Respect Mag x iHeartRadio “30 Days, 30 DJ’s, 30 Mixes!” series that ran throughout the entire month of November 2014, now at http://defjam30.com/30mixes

Download Iggy Azalea’s new album “Reclassified”, featuring “Fancy”, “Black Widow”, “Work” and the new smash “Beg For It”. Available on iTunes, Google Play and Amazon Now! Click here to download: http://smarturl.it/reclassified

November, the last month of the calendar with 30 days. This being our 30th anniversary, celebrating 30 years of a Dynasty; and “Respecting DJ’s Since 1984″ being the slogan underneath the iconic Def Jam Recordings logo since day 1, it’s only right we celebrate with 30 DJ’s! From all over the nation, providing 30 original…

Sisqo recently sat with Complex for an edition of #TBT to discuss a few of Dru Hill’s hit songs such as “Sleeping in my Bed”, filming the video, meeting biggie and more. For more nostalgic posts like this, check out defjam30.com

On October 27, 1991, Nice & Smooth performed as the special music guest on Fox’s “In Living Color” comedy sketch show. Check out the performance of “Hip Hop Junkies” above. For more nostalgic posts like this one, check out defjam30.com

On this day Oct. 25, 2002, cult classic “Paid In Full” is released on Roc-A-Fella Films featuring Cam’ron. “Paid in Full” is based on three friends Alpo Martinez, Rich Porter and Azie “AZ” Faison. Cam’ron plays as Rico, Mekhi Phifer plays as Mitch, and Ace is played by Wood Harris. Check out “Paid in Full”…

On this day Oct 25, 1985 the movie “Krush Groove” was released in theaters. A good-humored account of the travails of a couple of young men running a rap record label, “Krush Groove” cast Rick Rubin as himself, Blair Underwood as “Russell Walker”, and Russell Simmons as a faintly menacing promoter named Crocket. It also…

On this day Oct. 24 1995 in Def Jam history, Onyx released their second studio album “All We Got Iz Us” on Jam Master Jay Records/ Def Jam Recordings. For more nostalgic posts like this, check out DefJam30.com

On this day October 23, 2001 DMX released his fourth album “The Great Depression” on Ruff Ryders/Def Jam Recordings. It was DMX’s fourth consecutive album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. 439,000 copies were sold within the first week of the album’s release, and it was certified Platinum in December of…

On this day October 23, 1989 3rd Bass released their debut album “The Cactus Album” on Def Jam Recordings. The album received positive reviews from the hip hop press, and the group gained some publicity by being arguably the second white group to achieve hip hop credibility, after the Beastie Boys. It was certified gold…

The time has come! #RattPack unite and download Logic’s debut album “Under Pressure”, available everywhere now! Click here to download the deluxe version of “Under Pressure” on iTunes. Click here to download the deluxe version of “Under Pressure” on Google Play. Click here to download the deluxe version of “Under Pressure” on Amazon.

By JON CARAMANICA Onstage at the Barclays Center on Thursday night, Erick Sermon — from the Long Island duo EPMD — reminded the crowd about how things were back in 1991. MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice were selling millions of albums by bringing hip-hop to the masses, outraging purists and threatening to change the course…

In 1984, Def Jam Records, the label that defined hip-hop’s commercial and artistic potential, was born in a very unlikely location: a tiny New York University dorm room. Founder Rick Rubin — now a record-industry legend who’s shepherded the careers of everyone from Jay Z to the Red Hot Chili Peppers — hadn’t returned to…

They were kids. We forget that. Today we know Def Jam as the giant it became, the artistic and spiritual home of guys like Jay Z, who was once president of the label, before Def Jam helped guys like Jay Z outgrow the need for a label at all. We know Def Jam as the…

Since 1984: On this day Oct. 14, 1997, LL Cool J released his seventh album “Phenomenon” on Def Jam Recordings. The album went on to go certified platinum by the RIAA. For more nostalgic posts like this one, check out defjam30.com

On this day in Def Jam History, Oct. 10, 2007, Jay-Z released the first single to his “American Gangster” album “Roc Boys (And The Winner Is…)” on Roc-A-Fella Records/Def Jam Recordings. Check out the epic video for “Roc Boys” above featuring a slew of cameos. For more nostalgic posts like this one check out defjam30.com

Zebra-patterned cover art, front and back, for Big Audio Dynamite’s “The Bottom Line” backed with “B.A.D.” 1985. Formed by guitarist-songwriter Mick Jones shortly after he and the Clash went their separate ways, Big Audio Dynamite turned to young Rick Rubin to provide additional production and a remix for their very first single. As a bonus,…

Cey Adams and Adam Horovitz. Daytona Beach, Florida 1987. The Beasties took a break from the Licensed to Ill tour to lend a hand during MTV’s broadcast of the annual spring break party in Daytona Beach.

When Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys teamed up as coheadliners on the Together Forever arena tour, it was a big deal. Newsweek declared it “the explicit expression of the idea behind both groups’ huge crossover successes, Run-DMC’s with white rock fans and the Beasties’ with black rap fans.” But not everyone was delighted. The Cincinnati…

Def Jam on the cover of New Music Express May 9, 1987. Published weekly since 1952, the NME is a bulwark of British music journalism. In the mid-1980’s, the paper was plagued by “hip-hop wars,” during which, according to wikipedia, “the staff was split between those who wanted to write about hip-hop, a genre that…

Lyor Cohen, Andre Harrell, Percy Sutton and Jam Master Jay. Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York. February 1986 #DefJam30 Sutton, an esteemed lawyer, political activist, and New York City office-holder, eventually branched into the media business. His firm, Inner City Broadcasting, bought the world-famous Apollo in 1983 and spearheaded its revitalization. This photo was taken…

LL Cool J, Rick Rubin and Columbia Records execs. New York, April 1986. Everyone was gathered at Columbia’s offices in midtown Manhattan to celebrate the certification of sales of more than half a million copies of Radio. On the far right is Steve Ralbovsky, the A&R rep who persuaded Columbia to go into business with Def…

This past weekend, YG performed a sold out show at Irving Plaza in NYC for his “My Krazy Life” Tour. Here are some photos from the show courtesy of Jude Humeniuk. YG “My Krazy Life” Available Everywhere Now!